Combined shipping and feeding device for baby chicks



May 1955 A. w. GONDEK COMBINED SHIPPING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR BABYCHICKS Filed March 12, 1954 INVENTOR.

United States Patent COMBENED SHIPPING AND FEEDING DEVICE FOR BABYCHICKS Andrew W. Gondek, Brimfield, Mass.

Application March 12, 1954, Serial No. 415,735

3 Claims. (Cl. 229-6) This invention relates to improvements in acombined shipping carton and feeding device for baby chickens.

The principal objects of the invention are the provision of a shippingcontainer which is constructed and arranged for shipping baby chicks andis provided with novel means for conversion to a feeding device for thechicks.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and variousother novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention aswill become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, myinvention consists in certain novel features of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter moreparticularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fullydescribed and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawingsWhere- 1n:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the shipping container of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the receptacle of the container as usedas a feeding device; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial elevational view of a side of thecontainer shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will befully described.

The container-feeder of the invention includes a receptacle 2 andclosure 4 therefor both of which may be formed from corrugated board orthe like.

The container has a lower wall 5, side walls 6 and end walls 8, thelatter of which have end tabs 10 turned inwardly and secured to the sidewalls as by staples 12 or the like.

The side and end walls are provided with panels 14 and 16 which areformed by slitting the walls, as at and 17 and 19 and 20. These panelsneed not be entirely severed from the walls and may be attached at suchpoints as 21 and 23 in such a manner as to facilitate the easy and readyseparation of the panels from the walls.

Longitudinal and transverse partitions 24 and 26 are provided which haveend portions and 27 which are secured to the panels as by staples 29.

The partitions 24 and 26 are removable from the receptacle and beingsecured in some suitable manner, as described, to the panels the saidpartitions and panels may be removed from the receptacle simultaneously.

When used for shipping purposes it is customary to place abouttwenty-five baby chicks in each of the compartments of the receptacleand the closure 4 secured in place on the receptacle.

Numerous cuts or score lines are provided in the side and end walls toprovide discs indicated by V. The cuts are made so that as many of thediscs may be punched entirely out or partly out as desired to providethe desired ventilation according to climatic and temperatureconditions.

At destination the closure is removed and the container is used as afeeding device for the baby chicks. This is accomplished by removing thepartition walls together with the panels.

As the panels are removed, the height of the side and end walls isgreatly reduced so as to provide walls of a step-over height, that is,of such height that the baby chicks may readily step over and into thereceptacle for feeding.

Feed is placed in the container and it is desirable that baby chicksconfine their feeding to a more or less restricted area wherefor thereceptacle accomplishes the desired result.

Not only does the receptacle and closure provide the means for shippingbaby chicks but the container is readily adapted as a feeder for thechicksuntil such time as other feeding means is appropriate.

Subsequently the feeder may be discarded and by using the container forshipping purposes and then as a feeder, the chicks so shipped have a newfeeder and confine their feeding to the feeder until ready for automaticor intermediate feeders.

The panels are held to the side walls during shipment only to the extentthey would not be accidentally displaced. The means holding the panelsin place will be such as to be readily rupturable to facilitate theready and easy removal of the panels from the walls.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely asbeing illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description, and all modifications and variations as fallwithin the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appendedclaims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A combination shipping and feeding container including a receptacleand a closure therefor, said receptacle having a lower horizontal walland side and end walls of a certain height extending upwardly therefrom,longitudinal and transverse partition walls in and removable from saidreceptacle extending between opposite side and end walls, said side andend walls provided with panels secured to the ends of said partitionwalls and removable from said walls on removal of said partition Wallsfrom the receptacle.

2. A shipping and feeding apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein saidpanels are of a height to reduc the certain height of the side and endwalls to a step-over height for baby chicks.

3. A combination shipping and feeding container including a receptacleand a closure therefor, said receptacle having a lower horizontal walland side and end walls of a certain height extending upwardly therefrom,longitudinal and transverse partition walls in and removable from saidreceptacle extending between opposite side and end walls thereof, theside and end walls of said receptacle being provided with panels securedto the ends of said partition walls and removable from said partitionwalls on removal thereof from the receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,649,211 Bitzer Nov. 15, 1927 1,714,295 Bomberger May 21, 19292,015,341 Gorsuch Sept. 24, 1935 2,152,079 Mott Mar. 28, 1939 2,339,445Wynne et a1 Jan. 18, 1944 2,547,892 Stevens Apr. 3, 1951

